Yat (Matt/Matthew) Yeung
2024 Arrival, JHS ALT in Iyo City (Futami)
Gundam/Pokémon/League of Legends/Stardew Valley Nerd (cough, cough... specialist*)
G’day everyone! This Matt from Iyo City, Futami. I am entering the second year of the JET programme as a Junior High School and Elementary School ALT. Over the last year, I have participated in many local events, as well as supporting the local community and schools. During my downtime, I usually build (and even paint a bit) GUNPLA, attempt to cook different Japanese dishes and other cuisines, and finally get on the grind for League of Legends. Other hobbies include swimming, browsing plastic models and games (and not impulse buying… 75% of the time) and eating.
*I am a HUGE Gundam fan, however I live by one rule in the GUNPLA building world, NO SCALPERS.
WARNING: Blog includes some spiders and other insects, if you don’t feel comfortable about spiders or insects just by seeing them, please don’t force yourself! <3
Insects. One of the most interesting, and yet most feared living organisms in the world. They simply outnumber us in many ways possible, and in fact, I believe they are more interesting than the homosapien (that’s us). As humans we may carry several traits and factors that make us slightly more “superior” than the entire insect kingdom, however I think we just simply lack any interesting features or abilities that insects carry. Across the world, different kinds of insects are being discovered on a daily basis, around 40 – 55 species on average per day. Insects always had the two-faced image, one being seen as a freaky crawling creature who can apparently terrorize you, and the other half being “this little guy kinda funny looking”.
Honestly speaking, insects are absolutely needed in nature, as it is part of the circle of life. Without insects, there are many things we won’t be able to see or do. Thus, I will be showcasing some insects that are frequently found in Japan, and whether or not to have them around or not!
What NOT to kill
Step one of seeing insects, please DON’T PANIC. There are a billion insects in the world, a percentage of them can kill you, if you do something stupid or provoke it. Naturally, insects do not see you as a prey, you are too big to be a prey (don’t give me the “um… actually mosquitoes…”). The majority of these insects freely roam around the house, and they do actually provide benefits to your living area. Let’s start with something that may be daunting to some, but actually has crazy cool benefits!
The Japanese Jumping Spiders, Haetorigumo ハエトリグモ
Yes they are spiders, yes some of you may think spiders = kill me. I understand the fear of them jumping onto you, and just being a spider. Well the little guy has quite the job to do! Firstly, they actually run away from humans more than actually approach and strike back. The Japanese Jumping Spider is a harmless (and kind of cute) species of spider that is so small that the fangs can’t even pierce your skin. On top of that it has NO poison! Within the living area, these spiders actually hunt on flies and smaller insects like mosquitoes, becoming a natural bug repellent for you, for FREE!
Features to help you identify whether the spider you intend to kill is this little guy, keep an eye out for a fuzzy body, with either black body with white dots, or sometimes a full brown body. If you come across these cute little guys just shoo them away, as they are very beneficial for your household!
The Yellow Garden Spider, Jorogumo ジョロウグモ
Well well well… Arachnophobia strikes again at everyone. The classic “big” spider that is often found near bushes or under the roof of outdoor buildings. This may seem very daunting to many people, but as a kid I always saw it as “the spider”, due to its impressive colours and size. Naturally, these guys usually shouldn’t be setting up their webs in an enclosed, indoor space but rather a more open place with air flow. If you see them in the outdoors, or even outside your house, please DO NOT destroy their web and let them be!
The benefits of the Yellow Garden Spider are very similar to the jumping spider, but it does a slightly better job. As the name implies, it is a garden spider, therefore its main purpose is to hunt pests living in the area, controlling the number of unwanted flies and annoying insects from entering your household! They do this by trapping them and injecting venom into their prey which paralyzes them. The word “venom” may sound scary, but once again the venom is so weak it does not affect human beings in any way. The most you might feel if you somehow get bitten (probably pissed the spider off… but okay), you will feel some itch in that area or have an allergic reaction. Please seek some medical attention if you are having an allergic reaction. These fellas only come in Yellow, with some black and white dot features, with striking, skinny, brown long legs.
The House Centipede, Gejigeji ゲジゲジ
Oh great! You’re awake! Yeah the natural reaction to this guy is either faint, burn the house down, or SCREAM. In the beginning this guy would definitely give you a big jump scare, but trust me they do have benefits in the household. Similar to the other two spiders mentioned above, the House Centipede also preys on small insects, and given how big this fella is (2.5 cm – 3.5 cm, or 1 – 1.5 inches in freedom units), small insects include a huge variety of things. Insects that are part of this guy’s plate include smaller spiders, other centipedes, cockroaches, termites and mites, etc. They consume these other insects through venom (again harmless to humans, but likewise to the Garden Spider seeking medical attention if allergic), and use its legs to wrap around its prey.
From its semi-unique traits of terrifyingly long legs, with a dark sleek brown body, it is hard to not be able to identify the House Centipede. Although they may be beneficial, I reckon you don’t let them freely roam everywhere in the house, because that’s kind of disgusting seeing this guy. Like most insects they will hide in dark, humid and cool places in the house, usually between some cracks or the bathroom. With this information, instead of terminating this little fella, probably just scare him a bit and send him home… if you have the guts.
You may fire when ready
Be advised, don’t burn your house down for an insect. For the three mentioned above, they are doing a great job in maintaining a balanced ecosystem, however other species may not feel the same way about that. Firstly, I will not go through the usual common annoying insects that exist in the house, like flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches. The common ones aren’t just found in Japan, but also exist in households across the world. In Japan, some other “pests” show up a bit more, and this is when I say, “go ahead, MURDER THAT BUG”
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Kamemushi カメムシ
Okay these guys aren’t so bad… but not so good either. The stink bug is generally harmless to you, but can be harmful to your fruits, vegetables and plants. They are mainly attracted to sweet aroma or greens, and will release a “stink” gas when they feel threatened (like farting… exactly like farting). Sometimes, the stink gas isn’t strong enough for you to actually smell it, but the real question is why do you want to smell it when you don’t have to? While the 3 stated arachnids do in fact hunt this fella down, a little whip and slap can also terminate these guys, so don’t worry hehe, they don’t bite.
A side note is, although they are called the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, they do come in green, which is likely the “baby” version of them, which happens to be even more vulnerable to little whips and slaps. I generally won’t recommend you keep this thing around, just because they are like the smaller less disgusting looking version of a cockroach.
The Drugstore beetles, Jinsanshibanmushi ジンサンシバンムシ
A little more harmless looking, a little cuter than the one before, but much more annoying to find than the one before. The Drugstore Beetle are small, brown beetle looking critters who like to hide among organic materials, such as books, grains and rice. The worst part about this is these little fellas also like to lay eggs at their food source, as disturbing as it sounds. Them loving to hide in organic material does not help a lot as well, since this prevents predators from trying to hunt them, due to the opposite climate living conditions, with Drugstore beetles liking more warm climates. To prevent these guys, the best way is to keep an eye out for a brown looking moving thingy within your organic materials, and if your eye is very keen look for some yellow spheres too, as those are its eggs. Given that you do find them, giving them a little thumb “massage” would instantly kill them, and solve your problems.
The Centipede, Mukade ムカデ
Unlike the The House Centipede, these fellas will strike back when threatened, and can land either a very painful bite, or give you a free ticket to the great afterlife (if untreated). These cheeky little monsters love to hide among small cracks and holes around the house, so always keep an eye out if something is wiggling in and out of them. One way to well… brutally eradicate them would be sealing the holes with cement, suffocating them inside. A different way to get rid of them is to wait until winter. Centipedes, like many other insects too, are dormant during winter. During this time, when they are at their most vulnerable state, it is a good chance to get rid of them in any means possible. However, if you somehow find him going out for a walk, an easy way to get rid of them would be, HOT WATER.
The Giant Asian Hornet, Suzumebachi スズメバチ
As a semi-insect nerd, even this fella here gives me chills. The Giant Asian Hornet IS the world’s LARGEST Hornet, measuring at a whopping 5.5 cm (Queen), or around 2.16 inches. These monsters also have a sting which is at least 1 cm long, enough to give you MORE than a SERIOUS sting. When you usually spot one of these hornets, there is likely a nest hanging around somewhere. And where there is a nest, there is an army. Getting stung by one of them could cause severe pain and swelling, as they inject neurotoxins into your body, with enough stings it will definitely land you in hospital or worse, land you in your grave.
While seeing one of these bad boys, one particular thing that most people should NOT do is run, as they naturally fly faster than you anyways, so there is nothing you can do. Use any means possible, preferably without contact (just in case of the sting) to eradicate the hornet like a bug spray, and if more show up it’s time to look for the nest. 1 HUGE disclaimer is… if you don’t know, you don’t know! Leave it to the professionals to handle the nest, the last thing you want is you vs 30 Giant Asian Hornets, and being featured in the next entry to Dumb Ways to Die: The Video Game.
Conclusion
Naturally, most of us don’t really have an interest in insects, as only a very small percentage of us actually enjoy the features, or enjoy holding them, eating them (O_O) or even keeping them as pets. However, despite some being a literal monster, others being little cute critters, we can all agree that insects are necessary in the cycle of nature. It maintains balance in the ecosystem so that it doesn’t go into chaos. Among all the most hated and disgusted critters, the spider has to take the crown as the number 1. Although I’m not brave enough to put a spider on my face or even let it go into my mouth (why?!! Just why??!)I believe that spiders are one of the most important creatures in the ecosystem due to their abilities.
To all out there, let’s spare those little ones, and let them do the biggest jobs of their lives, to give us a better life!
Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out this month’s article. If there is a story, experience, or idea you’d like to share please reach out to us at themikanblog@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Best, Justin
